REGULATORY SERVICES

Pesticides

The Office of Pesticide Services within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) certifies applicators, registers pesticide products and licenses pesticide businesses. These activities provide for the safe and effective control of pests that attack our crops, structures and health and that of our domestic animals.

Our Certification, Licensing,
Registration and Training staff can assist you with applying for, and renewing, your
commercial or private applicator's certificate or pesticide business license,
or registering a pesticide product in Virginia. We also can advise you of
the requirements for certification training courses and inform you of the
date and location of approved courses. In addition, for those who use pesticides
in the production of agricultural plants on farms, in forests, nurseries and
greenhouses, we can assist you in meeting the requirements of the Worker Protection
Standard and reducing the risk of pesticide-related injury to you, your family
or the people you employ.

If you have a pesticide-related complaint, our Enforcement and Compliance staff can assist you. A team of twelve investigators is available to conduct in-depth investigations to determine whether a pesticide has been misused.

For additional information related to these and other services provided
by the Office of Pesticide Services, please select from the topics listed
below. You may also contact our office by clicking here.
Programs and contact numbers are listed for your use.

Bed Bugs are quickly becoming the public health pest of the 21st Century. Unlike common pests, for example, cockroaches and rodents, the long absence of Bed Bugs as a pest has resulted in many individuals seeking information regarding the pest, and in particular, control of the pest. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (VDACS) Office of Pesticide Services (OPS), thru a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, has undertaken an outreach and education project to provide information regarding Bed Bugs. Click the link above for additional information regarding Bed Bugs.

There are other pesticide related laws and regulations that are not under the authority of OPS but which may have an impact on pesticide applicators and pesticide businesses. Some of those laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Individuals are certified as commercial pesticide applicators, registered technicians and private pesticide applicators. The type of pesticide applications a person can perform is dependent on the applicator’s certification. You may view the list of Virginia certified commercial applicators, registered technicians and private applicators in PDF below. This list is updated weekly. Click here for a complete list of categories.

Businesses must be licensed with this office if offering commercial pesticide applications or recommendations for hire or offering to sell restricted use pesticides. You may view the list of Virginia licensed pesticide businesses in PDF below. This list is updated weekly. The pesticide category(s) indicate the type of pest control work performed by the business.

EPA is requiring important new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides to increase protections for agricultural workers and bystanders – people who live, work, or otherwise spend time near fields that are fumigated. These measures, scheduled to take effect through new product labels beginning on December 31, 2010 affect the following soil fumigation pesticides: